Axe-carrying terrorist with suicide letter caught before attack

He was looking for vulnerable Israelis who would be standing by themselves at bus stops or walking alone.

By World Israel News Staff

A Palestinian man armed with an axe, who had written a suicide letter pledging to carry out a terror attack, was apprehended by Israeli police before finding a victim.

The 22-year-old man, who hails from Al-Bireh, near Ramallah, was arrested at one a.m. near the Tapuach Junction in Samaria, where a deadly shooting attack was carried out last year.

Hebrew-language media reported that the terrorist admitted to police that he was cruising the area for more than an hour in search of potential victims. He said he was looking for vulnerable Israelis who would be standing by themselves at bus stops or walking alone.

“The vigilance of the police and the pursuit of contact apparently prevented a major attack,” said police commander Chaim Sargof in a statement. “We will continue with determination and professionalism together with the other security forces to protect the security of Israeli citizens everywhere and at all times.”

Israeli police spotted the man’s car circling the area and pulled him over. A search of his vehicle produced a suicide letter, which outlined his intentions for the attack, and an axe.

Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar gave a speech in early May urging Palestinians to attack Israelis with whatever weapons they have at their disposal, including axes. On Independence Day, two Palestinian terrorists murdered three Israelis using axes.

The apprehended terrorist said his motive was to avenge the recent deaths of Palestinian Islamic Jihad commando Daoud Zubeidi, who was wounded during a firefight with IDF troops last Friday and died in the hospital on Sunday, and Walid al-Sharif, a Temple Mount rioter wounded during Ramadan whose family claims he was shot with a rubber bullet by Israeli security forces.